Memorable Images

When asked to write about my most memorable images, nothing really came to mind so I did what I always do when I'm having trouble coming up with ideas: I googled it. I actually spent a fair amount of time looking through pictures because most of them were pretty interesting. However, I think this is the only one that will stick with me for a while. At first look, I didnt even realize that there was a little boy in the picture. The angle at which the photograph is taken makes the boy the center of attention because he is closest to the lens, but because he appears the same color as parts of his surrounding and lacks detail, it is hard to make him out as human. His placement at the bottom right corner of the picture allows the viewer to see him in the context of his environment which contributes to how desperate and weak he looks. Having the vulcher visible from only a few feet behind the boy, staring directly at him, creates the fear and sorrow that this picture is intended to provoke. The fact that the boy is curled up on the ground and the vulcher is standing up behind him shows how dangerous this situation is and that the vulcher is probably stronger and could easily harm him. I think that the amount of background that is provided in the picture is intended to creat a sense of lonliness and show the viewer that there is no one around to help him.

Across the Universe

This clip illustrates the chaos that existed at the time of the Vietnam War. The melancholy colors in the background of the scenes contrasts with the intense red color of the strawberries and paint. This provides a juxtaposition between the subdued lives of the general public as they experience the war as outsiders looking in, against the violence and bloodshed that is going on else where.

The scene where the man is using drugs illustrates how they provided a smoke screen (pun intended) to shield people from their worries and stresses - almost making it acceptable. People sought sanctuary through the use of drugs by escaping the harsh realities of the times.

The scene where the man pins the strawberries on the wall represents the wounded bodies on the battle field. The constant use of the color red throughout the clip, especially in the form of paint splatters, represents how strongly the war influenced every aspect of life, including art. His inner struggles lead to an emotional catharsis as he aggressively splatters red paint all over the room, signifying his anger and frustration.

Blue Crush Movie Synopsis

Blue Crush is about a group of girls who love to surf. Growing up in Hawaii, Anne Marie (Kate Bosworth) has always dreamed of going pro and becoming the first female on the cover of Surf Magazine. With the support of her best friends Eden (Michelle Rodriguez) and Lena (Sanoe Lake) Anne Marie competes in a prestigious surf competition.

Between trying to keep tabs on her troublesome teenage sister and a distracting new love life, Anne Marie finds her goals slipping further and further out of reach. She struggles to maintain balance between her social life and surfing as well as coping with the dangerous reality of the nature of the competition.

In the end, Anne Marie is able to clear her mind of all distractions and has a great ride on the perfect wave for everyone to see. She has an amazing performance and is greeted by her loving friends and family back on the beach.

Lab Free Writing

I'm kind of in a rush so I'm just going to write whatever comes to mind. I'm leaving to go to Wilmington, North Carolina in like 10 minutes. My friend from high school has a house there so I'm staying with him. A bunch of my other friends from high school go to UNCW and one of my best friends from home who goes to school in Ohio is coming down for the weekend. I think it's like a 5 hour drive, but I have my navigation system so it should be pretty easy. Can't decide if I should come back tomorrow night or sunday morning...I'd rather not drive 10 hours with in such a short time span but I also have a TON of work to do this weekend so I should probably come back tomorrow night. I'll decide later. Anyway, I feel really bad for whoever reads this because it was completely devoid of anything fascinating whatsoever. That's all.

Julius Caesar Movie

Although I couldn't make it to the play, I was able to gain a lot of insight into the art of rhetoric from the movie. Before watching the movie, I attempted to anaylze the rhetoric of Brutus and Antony based only on reading the speeches rather than seeing them performed. I found their rhetoric to be a lot more moving when they were being delivered by real people. However, I did find that the speeches in the movie were very similar to the way I envisioned them to be. Being able to look at one of the presidential candidate speeches online and then watch the speeches from the movie really heightened by awareness of how they use similar rhetoric and their effectiveness.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

I enjoyed reading this letter. I thought MLK Jr. did a really good job getting his message across to the reader. His strong language and vivid examples incorporated the technique of pathos, while his clear reasoning made use of rhetoric logos. He consistently clarifies his points in order to make sure they are perceived exactly how he intended. I especially liked his qoute that "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." By this I think he was saying that just because injustice isnt occurring right in front of us, that doesnt mean we don't have to deal with it. If we over look injustice's because they don't directly affect us, they could eventually get the power to manifest themselves. I also liked his consistent theme of timliness. With practically every issue that he says needs to be resolved, he touches upon the issue time and how critical it is to deal with problems right away, rather than to sit back and wait.

Reaction to Visual Rhetoric Activity

I think today's activity was an interesting way to follow up the reading of the Birmingham letter. It allowed me to understand the strengths and weaknesses of both forms of rhetoric, since they were both intended to send similar messages. I think visual rhetoric needs to be analyzed a little deeper in order to see beyond what is simply illustrated on the page. I liked the fact that we had no basis for actually knowing what the artist intended to portray. This allowed us a lot of room for creativity and the willingness to disect each page to its full extent with out fear of over analyzing. Based on the MLK reading, i think visual rhetoric can be extremely insightful as long as the viewer is willing to search for a deeper message.